AHDNAMA
OF THE FATIH SULTAN MEHMET

THE
COMMAND OF THE HONORABLE, SUBLIME SULTAN'S SIGN AND SHINING SEAL OF THE
CONQUEROR OF THE WORLD IS AS FOLLOWS:

I,
THE SULTAN MEHMET - KHAN INFORM ALL THE WORLD THAT THE ONES WHO POSSESS THIS
IMPERIAL EDICT, THE BOSNIAN FRANCISCANS, HAVE GOT INTO MY GOOD GRACES, SO I
COMMAND:

LET
NOBODY BOTHER OR DISTURB THOSE WHO ARE MENTIONED, NOT THEIR CHURCHES. LET THEM
DWELL IN PEACE IN MY EMPIRE. AND LET THOSE WHO HAVE BECOME REFUGEES BE AND SAFE.
LET THEM RETURN AND LET THEM SETTLE DOWN THEIR MONASTERIES WITHOUT FEAR IN ALL
THE COUNTRIES OF MY EMPIRE.

NEITHER
MY ROYAL HIGHNESS, NOR MY VIZIERS OR EMPLOYEES, NOR MY SERVANTS, NOR ANY OF THE
CITIZENS OF MY EMPIRE SHALL INSULT OR DISTURB THEM. LET NOBODY ATTACK INSULT OR
ENDANGER NEITHER THEIR LIFE OR THEIR PROPERTY OR THE PROPERTY OF THEIR CHURCH.
EVEN IF THEY BRING SOMEBODY FROM ABROAD INTO MY COUNTRY, THEY ARE ALLOWED TO DO
SO.

AS,
THUS, I HAVE GRACIOUSLY ISSUED THIS IMPERIAL EDICT, HEREBY TAKE MY GREAT OATH.

IN
THE NAME OF THE CREATOR OF THE EARTH AND HEAVEN, THE ONE WHO FEEDS ALL
CREATURES, AND IN THE NAME OF THE SEVEN MUSTAFAS AND OUR GREAT MESSENGER, AND IN
THE NAME OF THE SWORD I PUT, NOBODY SHALL DO CONTRARY TO WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN,
AS LONG AS THEY ARE OBEDIENT AND FAITHFUL TO MY COMMAND.

This Ahdnama, which brings independence and tolerance to the
ones who are from another religion, belief and race, is written by Fatih Sultan
Mehmet, after the conquest of Bosnia-Herzogovina, in May 28'th, 1463. The origin
of the Ahdnama is at the Franciscan Catholic Church in Foznica, in
Bosnia-Herzogovina. The Ahdnama has been recently arised and published by the
Ministry of Culture, for the 700'th anniversary of the foundation of the State
of Ottoman. The edict was issued the Sultan Mehmet II El Fatih to protect the
basic rights of Bosnian people when he conquered Bosnia-Herzogovina in 1463. The original edict
is still kept in Franciscan Monastery in the vicinity of Fojnica. The Ahdnama of
Fatih Sultan Mehmet, oldest Human Rights Declaration known in history, written
in 1463, it was announced. 326 years before 1789 French Revolution, 485 years
before 1948 International Human Rights Declaration.